The glow is the white light that can be seen on the horizon of the game world.
It shows the player where to go next, and may indicate an area with particularly high loot density or a specific item they need to collect.
Borderlands 2 follow the glow players are often guided by this glow, but they do not always understand what it means. Here’s what to watch for:
1. The white light.
“If you see a glow on the horizon, it’s your job to find out what that glow is.” – Athena, Borderlands 2 social liaison The game world contains two kinds of visual cues: those beyond the player’s immediate control and those that tell players when a reward is nearby.
A player looking at the horizon will see a white glow in their peripheral vision. When they turn their head towards it, they’ll see glowing objects that must be explored and looted for rewards. “The glow is your compass,” Athena said during a recent presentation at Gearbox Software headquarters in Texas, U.S.
“If you see a glow on the horizon, it’s your job to find out what that glow is.” The light can be seen anywhere in the game world. It will appear at any time, day or night. “The glow is your friend,” said artist Jeramy Cooke. “You have to go towards it.”
2. Rewards.
“There are no random rewards in Borderlands 2.” – Athena, Borderlands 2 social liaison The white light reveals specific items players need to progress throughout the game.
These are not random rewards, but rather specific items players want to find. “There are no random rewards in Borderlands 2,” Athena said. “The glow indicates the stuff you need.” Players will see the glow appear on an item they need before they receive it, such as a gun to use or a relic to equip, unless they’re looking for something specific.
They do not have to be in combat. “The glow leads you to progress,” Cooke added.
3. Deeper meanings.
“Examine every piece of glowing loot you find.” – Athena, Borderlands 2 social liaison Loot with special abilities always glows white when it is found and must be picked up manually with a button press.
This indicates their power, but also the danger of picking it up. If a player has enough inventory space and the right relics, they can pick up special loot without fear.
The glow may appear on non-relic items that are not immediately useful, too, such as health and ammo pick-ups or guns that do not fit a player’s current build. When this happens, Cooke said players should take time to examine every piece of glowing loot they find. “Anything that glows white is something you need,” he added.
Borderlands 2’s glow is an important aspect of gameplay that players do not always understand. People in the Borderlands 2 community often ask “why can’t I see the glow?”
This article attempts to explain what the glow means, how and why it shows up, and how it impacts gameplay.
4. Break up the gear.
“There’s no way you can have too many weapons.” – Athena, Borderlands 2 social liaison Players always have the option to change their loadout, as long as it’s not a full-on character swap.
They can carry a large number of guns at once and switch between them with handy prompts in the interface.
They can also pick up non-weapon gear like ammo or health packs to help them by combining that gear with other pieces of loot they find on the ground or in chests.
Though it may seem like players should be wearing all their equipment at all times, they don’t need to if they only want one weapon in particular or want to experiment with different characters.
5. Pick up the pace.
“Every time you kill an enemy, you have a chance for a bonus pickup.” – Athena, Borderlands 2 social liaison Players should always be moving towards the glow when they play Borderlands 2. The more distance they cover towards the light, the more reward items they’ll find.
Picking up one loot item may mean missing another if players move too slowly. They should try not to stop moving when they play and aim to stay at full health whenever possible to maximize their ability to find loot.
Should players fall or otherwise lose their health, Athena says they should still move forward and kill enemies as quickly as possible to get back in the game as soon as possible.
6. More than meets the eye.
“There is a lot to see in the Borderlands.” – Athena, Borderlands 2 social liaison Players may also find loot when exploring the world that is not visible at first glance.
They may step on a trip mine and have to shoot it before it goes off, or open a chest and find more guns inside. They should check every corner of the map if they want to make sure they don’t miss anything.
